Ingredients:
For the broth:
- 1 medium onion, peeled and cut in to 2
- 2 inch piece ginger, washed
- 2 pieces of cinnamon stick about 2" long
- 5-6 cloves
- 1 Tbsp anise seeds
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 pieces of lemongrass stalk, about 2" long
- 4 cups water
- 2.5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp tamarind extract (optional)
Vegetables:
- 1 bunch dandelion green, washed and trimmed into 2 inch long pieces
- One pot of water to blanch the greens
- 1 small bunch of broccolini - separate the florets in to bite-size pieces and chop the stem in to 2 inch long pieces
- 1 cup green beans, chopped in to 2 inch long pieces
- 1 cup cabbage
- 1/2 cup frozen edamame beans, thawed
Garnish:
- 1 Tbsp tamari soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (use more if you skipped the tamarind)
- 1 Tbsp minced cilantro
Method:
Prepare the broth:
- Blacken the onion and ginger on an open flame on a gas stove or under the broiler. If using the broiler, check often to not over-do it
- Cool and wash the onion and ginger
- In a large soup pot, dry roast the spices - cinnamon, cloves, anise and fennel.
- Crush the lemongrass stalk with a pestle or the back of your chef knife to bruise it and release the flavors
- Add it to the pot with the garlic and saute for 2 minutes
- Add the water, vegetable broth and tamarind extract as well as the onion and ginger and bring to a boil
- Lower heat and simmer until the liquid reduces a bit, around 45 mins
Prepare the greens:
- While the broth is simmering, blanch the washed and trimmed dandelion greens in boiling water for 5-10 mins depending on how tender they are. This will help remove the bitterness from the greens
- Remove the greens and set aside
- (Strain the water used for blanching and consume it as tea as it has a lot of nutrients)
Put together the soup:
- Strain the spices, onion, ginger, garlic and lemon grass from the broth and discard
- Heat the broth in the soup pot and add the broccolini, green beans, cabbage and edamame beans and simmer for 5 mins until slightly tender
- Add the blanched dandelion greens, soy sauce and vinegar and heat through
To serve, add some broth to each bowl and scoop some vegetables on top. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.